Hammerfall – Avenge the Fallen (Nuclear Blast)
Back on the label that made them a power metal force when everyone thought the style was dead and buried, Hammerfall are still standing tall as a global unit that keeps the flag of...
Visions of Atlantis – Sailing the Pirate Universe
There's always been glimpses of true greatness with veteran symphonic metal act Visions of Atlantis, but it hasn't really been until recently that they've really captured their full potential. Most notably is that of...
Âscent – Gamma (Wormholedeath)
Progressive rock / metal has been a favorite genre to this scribe since youth. A healthy love of artists from Kansas and Rush to Yes led to the 80s/90s work of Fates Warning, Queensrÿche,...
Aligned in Ruins – Cognitive Behavioral Torture (Self-Released)
Hailing from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Aligned in Ruins spits out a vicious blend of groove metal through some djent and hardcore angles for this album aptly titled Cognitive Behavioral Torture. The nine tracks within...
All For Metal – Bow at the Altar of Metal
Strong metal deserves a strong presentation with an equally provocative image to uphold. That’s what you’ll get with the international outfit All For Metal. Bursting onto the scene through their debut album Legends, their...
Carnophage – Matter of a Darker Nature (Transcending Obscurity)
We’ve talked about it before, but let’s bring it up again - this dude is on the incessantly selective side when it comes to brutal death metal. Or as one friend will say sometimes,...
Lost to Light – Conceal (Self-Released)
Metalcore seems to also have received a generational resurgence much like death metal these days. From the UK in Derby, Lost to Light is another explosive newcomer setting their sights on achieving appeal from...
Absorb – Double Down on Smog
Photo: Brittany Vaughan
When it comes to doomy, sludge-oriented metal with death inflections, there’s quite a buzz going around for this Canadian act Absorb. Together since 2013, they’ve released a series of albums and EPs...
Laceration – I Erode (20 Buck Spin)
Although there are numerous Laceration acts over the years, this one hails from California and has been active since the mid 2000’s. Combining elements of classic death metal with some sophisticated thrash in spots,...
Category 7 – Category 7 (Metal Blade Records)
Anytime the term "supergroup" is bandied about I'm always in the grip of conflicting emotions. On the one hand, we can get a formula for greatness. On the other hand, it can be a...
RedFace – First Blood (Violence in the Veins)
Spain slowly seems to be building healthy domestic output – acts like Angelus Apatrida and Crisix garnering international respect / acclaim among others. Forming in 2022, RedFace is a four-piece outfit that combine aspects...
Uprising – III (AOP Records)
Black metal of many varieties is on a tear this year, and if we’re being honest, the last couple of years have been incredibly friendly to those of us who actively seek out what...
Üga Büga – Year of the Hog (Self-Released)
Amongst the hefty emails hitting our in box, sometimes you get the intriguing record that otherwise would probably sit in the shadows if not investigated a little more. Such is the case for Üga...
Obscene – Push Through the Wounds
Photo: Scott Wilson
Early death metal possesses this raw combination of aggression next to passion, unleashing a firestorm of riffs, growls, and tempos that pushed the underground scene further into a global movement that still...
Nek! – EXCLAMAT!ON (Self-Released)
Surfacing recently late last year and seeming to spread like rapid fire with some early singles, Nek! quickly seems poised to be the next 'big group' to come out from the Japanese quadrant. With...